Package-carrier.



C. J. MILLER.

. PACKAGE CARRIER. APPLIUATIQN FILED MAB. 3,1911. BBNEWIJD MAR. 24, 1914.

41,1 30,530. Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l Z l i @.@LSPM B MQQM V/TA/lSSELS THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTO-LITHG.. WASHINGEF", DV CV C. J. MILLER.

PACKAGE CARRIER. APPLICATION FILED M1111. s, 1911. RBNBWBD 111111.24, 1914.

1,1 30,580. Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2` z5 :E y 'z 1910 i Z1 16 Il* 14 THE NORRIS PETERS C0., FHon-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

NETE@ STATES FAFENT FFQE.

CHARLES J'. MILLER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 THE LAMSON COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PACKAGE-CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Mar. 2, 1915.

Application led March 3, 1911, Serial No. 612,158. Renewed March 24, 1914. Serial No. 827,012.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES J. MrLLER, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Package-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to store service apparatus and the object of the invention` is to provide improved means for temporarily connecting the package receptacle and the line carrier.

A further object is to provide an attaching or connecting means which will be simple and positive in its operation and thoroughly reliable.

A still further object is to provide a connecting device which can be easily and quickly operated even by an inexperienced person.

Other objects of the invention will ap-l pear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view illustrating the applicationV of lmy in vention to a store service apparatus, Fig. 2 is a detail sectional View showing the construction of the locking or connecting de,- vice, Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on a line at right angles substantially to the section line of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a viewof the interior of the carrier box or head, showing the supports for the basket or receptacle therein, Fig. 5 is an end view illustrating the safety device to prevent accidental dropping of the package receptacle should it become unlocked in transit. Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating the means for preventing accidental separation of the basket and hook until the shank and head are securely interlocked.

In the drawing, 2 represents a hanger, 3 a bracket, the said hanger and the parts attached thereto constituting the home station.

4 is the line wire secured to the bracket by suitable means, 5 is a carrier having wheels 6 resting upon the line wire and 7 is a plunger having its forward end supported on the line wire and its rear end supported on arod 8 and adapted to be projected into contact with the carrier t0 propel it from end 11. rlhe inner walls of this box are provided with bosses or projections 12 and 13, there being preferably a pair of them on the opposite walls of the box. (See Fig. Referring to one wall of the box, the boss 12 has a curved edge 14, a space 15 being formed between the opposite edge of the boss and the wall of the box, this space constituting a guide-way. The upper end of the boss is provided with horns or projections 16 and 17 with a notch or recess 18 formed between them. rlhe vboss 13 has horns or projections 19 and 20 with a recess 21 between them, the horn 19 projecting beyond the horn 16 of the boss 12 and a narrow space being formed between the bosses 16 and 20 leading to the recess 18. The horn 17v projects above ythe horn 20 and is spaced therefrom anda space is provided above the horn 20 forming a continuation of the guide-way 15 and extending past the upper end of the boss 13. The upper edge of the boss 13 is preferably curved, as shown at 22. rlhe basket 23 has a bail 24 provided with a loop 25 and this loop carries a shank 26 having rails 27 which enter the opening 11 in the box 10 and slide upwardly therein, one of said rails entering the guide-way 15 and being guided by the edge of the boss 12 and the contiguous wall of the box. These rails are connected at the top by a cross piece 28 and at the bottom intermediate to the rails, a lever 29 is centrally pivoted at 30 and extends upright between the rails 27.

pins 34 will contact'first with the curved edges 14 of the bosses 12 and be guided thereby into the recess 21, the walls of which will prevent further upward movement of the shank. VVhenthe pins reach the throat or opening between the horns -16 and 20 the lever spring will tilt or swing the lever into the throat so that when the lifting cable or cord is released the shank will drop until the pins 34 rest in the recess 18, whereupon the basket will be supported securely on the carrier and be ready for propulsion from the station. When it is desired to disengage the shank from the box, the shank is raised and the pins 34 will pass up between the horns 2O and 17 until the top of the boss 13 is reached or until the shank has reached the limit of its upward movement, then when the lifting cord is released the parts will drop and the pins 34 will contact with the curved surfaces 22 of the bosses 13 and be guided thereby down past the boss 12 and allowed to pass out of the open lower end of the box.

l prefer in connection with this device to provide a safety attachment, consisting oi'l a lever 35 pivoted at 8G on the basket bail and having a slotted end 37 that is normally held in contact with 'the carrier boX by the tension of a spring 88. A pin 39 is mounted on said box and adapted to enter the slotted end 37 and prevent the receptacle from dropping to the floor in case the locking mechanism should accidentally release the receptacle in transit. For the purpose of lifting the receptacle l provide a hook device 40 connected to a lifting cord 41 and having notches 42to receive the loop 25. The lever 35 is preferably provided with a lug 43 which projects into the path of the hook 40 so that the engagement of the hook with the loop to lift the receptacle will tilt the lever 35 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 and render it temporarily inactive.

When the basket and the carrier have been locked together the hook 40 is automatically disengaged from the bail, preferably by the following described mechanism: 44 is a plate pivoted at 45 on the hook 40 and provided with a pivoted arm 46 which projects upwardly in position to engage a pivoted arm 47 that is normally held in its depressed position by a spring 48 carried by a bolt 49. A pin 50 is pivotally connected with a plate 44 and has a sliding connection with the hook 40 and a spring 51 is carried by said pin and put under tension when pressure is applied to the arm 46 through its engagement with the arm 4'?. The plate 44 has a slot 52 to receive a pin 53 on the hook 40, the length of said slot regulating the travel of the plate 44, allowing it to be swung to one side sui'iciently to allow the disengagement of the hook from the loop 25. Normally the plate overhangs the loop and prevents accidental separation of the parts until the shank has been securely locked in the head of the carrier.

li claim as my invention 1. A store service carrier having a locking member in combination with a basket, also having a locking member, a lever pivoted at a point intermediate to its ends in one ot' said members, means yieldingly engaging the lower end of said lever and operating to center it in the member wherein it is pivoted, means on the other member operating to engage and lock said lever on the initial raising and releasing of said basket, said means also operating to release said lever when said basket is raised a second time.

2. A store service carrier having a locking head in combination with a basket having a shank to enter said head, a lever pivoted at a point intermediate to its ends in said shank, means yieldingly engaging said lever and operating to center it in said shank,

means operating to engage and lock said lever on the initial raising and releasing of said basket, and means also operating to release said lever when said basket is raised a second time.

3. A store service carrier having a locking member in combination with a basket also having a locking member, a lever pivoted in one of said members, the upper end of said lever having laterally projecting pins, bosses mounted in the walls of one of said members in the path of said pins, said bosses operating to engage and limit the upward movee ment of said lever and locking it against downward movement on the initial raising and releasing of said basket, said bosses also permitting the disengagement of said pins and lever therefrom when said basket is raised a second time.

4. A store service carrier having a locking head and a basket having a bail provided with means to enter said head, in combination with a hook having a part to engage said bail and raise or lower said basket, and means carried by said hook for temporarily preventing` the disengagement of said hook from said bail, said means including a pivoted plate normally overhanging that portion of said hook which engages the basket bail.

5. A store service carrier having a locking boX or head in combination with a basket having a shank to enter said head, an upright lever pivoted at a point intermediate to its ends in said shank, means yieldingly ,i

engaging the lower end of said lever and operating to center it in said shank, the upper end of said lever having laterally projecting pins, bosses mounted in the walls of said box in the path of said pins, said bosses operating to engage and limit the upward movement of said lever and lock it against downward movement on the initial raising and releasing of said basket, said bosses also permitting the disengagement of said pins and lever therefrom when said basket is raised a second time.

6. A store service carrier having a locking head or box in combination with a basket having a shank, a lever pivoted in said shank intermediate to its ends, means yieldingly engaging the lower end of said lever and means within said box operating to engage the upper portion of said lever, and limit its downward movement and support it against downward movement on the initial raising and releasing of said basket, said means also operating to release said lever when said basket is raised asecond time.

7. store service carrier having a locking head and a pin thereon in combination with a basket having a shank to enter said head and provided with a bail whereon said shank is mounted, a lever pivoted on said bail and having a slotto receive said pin, said lever normally preventing the premature separation of said shank and head, and a lifting cord having a hook to trip said lever preliminary to the lifting of said basket and the releasing of said shank.

8. A store service carrier having a locking head and a basket having a bail provided with means to enter said head, in combination with a hook having a part to engage said bail to raise or lower said basket,

means normally operative to prevent the premature disengagement of said hook from said bail and means for rendering said preventing means temporarily inoperative when said basket is raised into interlocking engagement with said carrier.

9. The combination, with a store service carrier-,of a basket having a bail, coperating interlocking means on said bail and carrier, a hook having a part to engage and lift said bail and basket, a spring-pressed plate -pivoted on said hook and normally preventing the premature disengagement of said hook from said bail, and means for tilting said plate to an inoperative position when said basket is raised to its interlocking engagement with said carrier.

10. lThe combination, with a store service carrier, of a basket having a bail, coperating, interlocking meanson said bail and carrier, a hook having a part to engage and lift said bail and basket, a plate pivoted on said hook and normally overhanging that part of said hook which engages the basket bail and preventing premature disengagement of said hook and bail, and means for withdrawing said plate when said basket is raised into interlocking engagement with said carrier.

11. The combination, with a store service carrier, of a basket having a bail, coperating, interlocking means on said bail and carrier, a hook having a part to engage and lift said bail and basket, a plate pivoted on said hook and normally preventing premature disengagement of said hook from said bail, an arm pivoted on said plate and eX- tending to a point above said hook, and means in the path of said hook to engage said arm and tilt said plate to allow the disengagement of said hook from saidbail when said basket is raised to its interlocking engagement with said carrier.

12. A store service carrier having a locking head and a basket having a bail provided with means to engage said head, in combination with an elevating hook having a part to engage said bail to raise or lower said basket, and a spring-pressed device car-- ried by said hook and adapted to temporarily overhang said bail when engaged'by' said hook and prevent accidental disengagement of said hook from said bail.

13. A store service carrier having a locking head and a basket having a bail pro vided with means to engage said head, in

combination with a hook having a part t0.

engage said bail to raise or lower said basket, and means mounted on said hook and lnormally overhanging the part thereof which engages said bail and preventing the accidental disengagement of said bail from said hook.

14. A store service carrier having a locking head and a basket having a bail provided with means to engage said head, in combination with an elevating hook having a part to engage said bail to raise or lower said basket, a spring pressed device carried by said hook and adapted to temporarily overhang said bail and prevent accidental disengagement of said hook from said bail, and means in the path of said hook to actuate said spring pressed device and release said hook from said bail.

15. The combination, with a hanger, of a line wire and carrier therefor, a basket having a lifting bail, an elevating cord having a hook to engage said bail, interlocking means for said bail and carrier, arms projecting on each side of said carrier in the path of said hook and operating to automatically disengage said hook from said bail when said bail is interlocked with said carrier and said elevating cord is released.

16. The combination, with a hanger, a line wire and carrier, of a basket having a lifting bail and means for interlocking with said carrier and basket, an elevating cord and pulleys therefor, a lifting hook attached to said cord, and spring-pressed arms projecting horizontally over said basket andl bail in the path of said lifting hook and operating to engage said hook and separate it from said basket bail when said elevating cord is released.

17. A store service carrier having a locking head part in combination with a receptacle having a shank-like part, one of said partsbeing receivable into the other of said parts, a lever pivoted to one of said parts and provided with a locking end adapted of itself and independently of the other portions of said lever, to lock together said lever and the other of said parts, to which it is not pivoted, means for maintaining said le ver normally in a determined position, means for moving,` said locking end of said lever through a determined path into locking connection with the one of said parts other' than that to which it is attached, upon the initial raising and releasing of said receptacle, and eo-aoting means for moving said looking end of said lever through another and distinctly different path out oi said locking engagement when said receptaole is raised a second time.

In Witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this 17 day of February 1911.

GENEVIEVE E. SORENSEN, EDWARD A. PAUL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of yatents,

Washington, D. C. 

